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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: patient · hide · file · mark · ball · face · plane · can

  1. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. can — a tin
  4. ball — a dance
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. file — a line of people
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. ball — a great time
  12. can — a tin
  13. face — to confront
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. can — to be able to
  16. face — to point toward
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. face — part of the head
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. mark — a trace
  21. plane — a tool
  22. file — a tool
  23. file — a document
  24. ball — a round shape

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com